However Unlikely
by mysticxf
Summary: Kate and Shannon bond over pedicures and waves.


Lost and its characters belong to JJ Abrams and crew. I'm just borrowing for some non-profit fun. Kate and Shannon bond over pedicures and waves. Enjoy

Lost – However Unlikely

By Mystic

July 19th 2005

She'd been staring out at the ocean for four hours. It was a guess on her part. In all honesty, she didn't really know. It could have been three, or five, or even six. Her backside was numb from sitting in the sand and her arms were sore from resting on her knees. Her dark hair had been tangled again by the wind that blew over her shoulders. She could see the redness on her skin and could feel the tightness across her forehead from sunburn. Her nose itched, but she ignored it.

Kate kept trying to block the outside world out; but it kept banging down the doors.

"Why do you do that?"

The voice was so close it made her jump. She squinted her eyes against the sunlight as everything around her came back into focus and she stared up at the blond woman who stood awkwardly at her side staring down at her. Kate did her best to smile, but it fell across her face in a grimace.

"Why do you do that?" Shannon repeated.

Kate shrugged, realizing she hadn't answered. She hadn't fully digested the question. "What?"

Shannon took a long breath and threw her right arm up towards the ocean and then let it slap back down against her jeans. "Sit out here staring at the ocean like you're on crack."

She managed a smile and looked away. "It's calming."

"How?" Shannon grunted. "It's just freaking everyone else out."

Kate lowered her eyebrows and looked back up at the other woman. She watched Shannon's hair blow into her face as she stared down at her on the verge of pouting. Why did it matter? Kate wanted to ask, but she was curious. "I've been sitting out here for days."

"Exactly," Shannon pointed at her with her chin. "Kind of psychotic, don't you think?"

"No, not really." Kate nodded her head towards the ocean. "I'm looking for a ship, isn't that the logical thing to be doing?"

"Yeah, sure," Shannon agreed, nodding her head back towards the group that was gathered near the wreckage. "Where everyone else is sitting looking for a ship."

Kate shrugged her shoulders and pulled her feet out of the sand where she'd buried them. "I don't like crowds."

Shannon sat down. "Well, Boone thinks you're going to dehydrate yourself and die."

"Is that why you're out here?" Kate asked slowly.

Shannon shook her head. "I could care less, it's just… once Boone thinks he's gonna save you, it's like feeding a stray dog. He just doesn't go away."

"You speak from experience," Kate noted.

"He's my brother," Shannon spat quickly, looking away. Kate watched her eyes search the horizon and glance back just for a moment towards the bright eyed man who was helping someone set up a shelter on the beach while watching the duo speaking several yards away.

"Yeah, sure." Kate stretched her legs out on the sand, feeling the warmth seep through the bottom of her jeans. She looked away from Shannon and planted her hands in the sand behind her.

"So, what's your story?" Shannon asked delicately.

"Thought you could care less."

Shannon crossed her arms. "Look, I'm just making small talk, but if you'd rather I go away…"

Kate raised a hand. "No, I just, I was under the impression you… didn't… really want to make any friends."

The other woman laughed. "I didn't say I wanted to make friends."

Nodding, Kate looked at the sand next to her. "Wanna sit down?"

Looking around, Shannon shrugged her shoulders and slowly lowered herself to the ground next to Kate. She crossed her legs under her and watched Kate a moment. "So, do you think a ship will come?"

Kate shrugged her shoulders, not bothering to look over. She knew what she'd see. She'd seen it before. That fear that this was it. She'd seen it start to settle in on people's faces on the island. She hated to tell them they were probably right. "Eventually," she lied.

Shannon hunched her shoulders and picked at the sand. "This is boring."

Laughing, Kate shook her head. "Haven't you ever just sat around daydreaming?"

"Yeah, sure, what Brad Pitt loving girl hasn't?"

Kate nodded, lowering her eyebrows. "Same deal, just not from the comforts of your home."

"Have you ever had a pedicure?" Shannon asked suddenly, perking up.

Whipping her head to look at her, Kate gave her a panicked stare and spat, "No."

Laughing, Shannon started to stand, but Kate grabbed her arm, yanking her back down. "What?"

"I don't want one."

Shannon frowned, pulling her arm away from Kate's grasp. "Oh, you're one of those girls."

"What's that mean?" Kate asked, feeling offended.

Looking away, Shannon bit her lip and gave a shrug.

"No, it's not like that," Kate shook her head. "I'm just. I don't need. I've never wanted…" she trailed, feeling incompetent.

"Does it scare you to drop the tomboy act?" Shannon asked her with a laugh.

Kate shrugged, pulling her knees up against her chest. "There's just no… I mean, who am I trying to impress here with fancy toe nails. I wear boots anyways."

"You fell from the sky wearing sandals." She sucked her teeth, watching Kate raise an eyebrow. "You don't think I'd notice something ridiculously useless like that?"

"I don't need a pedicure." She brushed sand off her toes and showed them to Shannon, who looked confused.

"You have good feet actually."

"What?" Kate laughed.

"I didn't think you'd have good feet. Thought they'd be scary or something, like Uma Thurman's in Kill Bill."

"Uma who in what?" Kate searched her brain and was coming up with something yellow, but unknown, and she watched Shannon eye her suspiciously.

"Ok, so what rock have you been living under?"

Kate shrugged and grinned sheepishly. "I don't really have time for entertainment."

"What about a manicure?" Shannon flashed her own perfect nails up for Kate to examine.

Looking at her own nails, she put on her best 'dare you' face and held out her hands. The nails were either ground down from tree climbing or from her teeth and her cuticles were crusted slightly with dirt and sand and probably blood. Kate couldn't tell.

"Oh my God," Shannon shook her head. "Lost cause there."

Kate laughed. "So you're into fashion. Your brother owns a business? Something about wedding dresses?"

"He going to inherit it from his mom."

"Not your mom?" Kate questioned.

Shannon shook her head. "Mom's dead. Boone's my step brother."

Kate watched the way Shannon looked back at her brother and she sighed, tipping her head back slightly. "No blood relation."

"What?"

"Boone and yourself, no blood relation?"

"What's that mean?"

Kate glanced at the ocean, her mouth falling open. "Your parents got married AFTER you guys were born."

Shannon looked offended. "What are you trying to say?"

"Shannon, I'm just saying, you guys are related only by a piece of paper." Kate let out a huff of air and lowered her eyebrows. "Nevermind."

The other woman softened somewhat and stared out at the ocean. Kate seemed to be waiting, not knowing what toes she'd stepped on. Usually if she remained silent, the answer came pouring out, but Shannon just flicked sand out of her nails and blinked at the surf.

"So what about you, what's your family like?"

Kate stared at the ocean.

"What, they can't all be dead," Shannon lowered her eyebrows.

Raising her eyes to meet Shannon's, Kate gave a short nod and picked her knees up again, pressing them against her chest. She hugged them and sighed. She wouldn't expect the other woman to understand.

"I'm sorry," Shannon half whispered. "That must suck."

Snorting a laugh, Kate smiled. "Yeah, it does."

"Family's overrated anyways," Shannon offered quietly. Kate watched her shoot up from her side and clean her hands on her jeans, glancing over at the ocean. "Well, yeah, this was fun. I should get back." Pointing towards the rest of the survivors, Shannon added, "Over there, with everyone else."

Kate nodded, but her smile weakened. "It's alright, tell your brother I'm fine." She opened her backpack enough to show Shannon the water and fruit she had with her. Shannon nodded slowly and Kate watched something flash across her face, but she couldn't make it out. Was it regret? The other woman hesitated, turning and then turning back twice before beginning her walk back to Boone and the others.

She didn't expect her to stay. No one ever did.

Finis


End file.
